diff --git a/src/App/App.css b/src/App/App.css
index 02789ac..2929afe 100644
--- a/src/App/App.css
+++ b/src/App/App.css
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ details:has(+ details) {
 }
 
 .toolbar input {
-  height: 26px;
-  box-sizing: border-box;
+  height: 22px;
 }
 .toolbar div {
   vertical-align: bottom;
diff --git a/src/App/App.tsx b/src/App/App.tsx
index 8390c59..727e22c 100644
--- a/src/App/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App/App.tsx
@@ -15,11 +15,10 @@ import { useEditor } from "./hooks/useEditor";
 import { useSimulator } from "./hooks/useSimulator";
 import { useUrlHashState } from "../hooks/useUrlHashState";
 import { plants } from "./plants";
-import { initialEditorState } from "@/statecharts/concrete_syntax";
+import { emptyState } from "@/statecharts/concrete_syntax";
 import { ModalOverlay } from "./Overlays/ModalOverlay";
 import { FindReplace } from "./BottomPanel/FindReplace";
 import { useCustomMemo } from "@/hooks/useCustomMemo";
-import { usePersistentState } from "@/hooks/usePersistentState";
 
 export type EditHistory = {
   current: VisualEditorState,
@@ -52,8 +51,6 @@ export function App() {
   const [editHistory, setEditHistory] = useState<EditHistory|null>(null);
   const [modal, setModal] = useState<ReactElement|null>(null);
 
-  const [[findText, replaceText], setFindReplaceText] = usePersistentState("findReplaceTxt", ["", ""]);
-
   const {commitState, replaceState, onRedo, onUndo, onRotate} = useEditor(setEditHistory);
 
   const editorState = editHistory && editHistory.current;
@@ -70,17 +67,9 @@ export function App() {
   ([prevState, prevConns], [nextState, nextConns]) => {
     if ((prevState === null) !== (nextState === null)) return false;
     if ((prevConns === null) !== (nextConns === null)) return false;
-    if (prevConns === null) {
-      return nextConns === null;
-    }
-    if (prevState === null) {
-      return nextState === null;
-    }
-    if (nextConns === null) return false;
-    if (nextState === null) return false;
     // the following check is much cheaper than re-rendering everything that depends on
-    return connectionsEqual(prevConns, nextConns)
-      && reducedConcreteSyntaxEqual(prevState, nextState);
+    return connectionsEqual(prevConns!, nextConns!)
+      && reducedConcreteSyntaxEqual(prevState!, nextState!);
   });
   const ast = parsed && parsed[0];
 
@@ -89,7 +78,7 @@ export function App() {
   const persist = useUrlHashState<VisualEditorState | AppState & {editorState: VisualEditorState}>(
     recoveredState => {
       if (recoveredState === null) {
-        setEditHistory(() => ({current: initialEditorState, history: [], future: []}));
+        setEditHistory(() => ({current: emptyState, history: [], future: []}));
       }
       // we support two formats
       // @ts-ignore
@@ -172,7 +161,7 @@ export function App() {
         <div className="stackHorizontal" style={{flexGrow:1, overflow: "auto"}}>
 
           {/* top-to-bottom: top bar, editor */}
-          <div className="stackVertical" style={{flexGrow:1, overflow: "hidden"}}>
+          <div className="stackVertical" style={{flexGrow:1, overflow: "auto"}}>
             {/* Top bar */}
             <div
               className="shadowBelow"
@@ -185,12 +174,12 @@ export function App() {
             {/* Editor */}
             <div style={{flexGrow: 1, overflow: "auto"}}>
               {editorState && conns && syntaxErrors &&
-                <VisualEditor {...{state: editorState, commitState, replaceState, conns, syntaxErrors: allErrors, highlightActive, highlightTransitions, setModal, ...appState, findText:findText}}/>}
+                <VisualEditor {...{state: editorState, commitState, replaceState, conns, syntaxErrors: allErrors, highlightActive, highlightTransitions, setModal, ...appState}}/>}
             </div>
             
-            {editorState && appState.showFindReplace &&
-              <div style={{}}>
-                <FindReplace findText={findText} replaceText={replaceText} setFindReplaceText={setFindReplaceText} cs={editorState} setCS={setEditorState} hide={() => setters.setShowFindReplace(false)}/>
+            {appState.showFindReplace &&
+              <div>
+                <FindReplace setCS={setEditorState} hide={() => setters.setShowFindReplace(false)}/>
               </div>
             }
 
diff --git a/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.css b/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.css
index 1725d16..098ef48 100644
--- a/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.css
+++ b/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.css
@@ -1,27 +1,12 @@
-.statusBar {
-  background-color: var(--statusbar-bg-color);
-  color: var(--statusbar-fg-color);
-}
-
-.statusBar.error {
-  background-color: var(--statusbar-error-bg-color);
-  color: var(--statusbar-error-fg-color);
-}
-
-.statusBar summary:hover {
-  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--statusbar-bg-color) 60%, var(--background-color));
-}
-.statusBar.error summary:hover {
-  background-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--statusbar-error-bg-color) 70%, var(--text-color));
-}
-
-.statusBar a {
-  color: inherit;
+.errorStatus {
+  /* background-color: rgb(230,0,0); */
+  background-color: var(--error-color);
+  color: var(--background-color);
 }
 
 .greeter {
   /* border-top: 1px var(--separator-color) solid; */
-  background-color: var(--background-color);
+  background-color: var(--greeter-bg-color);
 }
 
 .bottom {
diff --git a/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.tsx b/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.tsx
index bf1258d..d1f5e3a 100644
--- a/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/App/BottomPanel/BottomPanel.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "./BottomPanel.css";
 import { PersistentDetailsLocalStorage } from "../Components/PersistentDetails";
 import { Logo } from "@/App/Logo/Logo";
 import { AppState } from "../App";
+import { FindReplace } from "./FindReplace";
 import { VisualEditorState } from "../VisualEditor/VisualEditor";
 import { Setters } from "../makePartialSetter";
 
@@ -13,10 +14,9 @@ import gitRev from "@/git-rev.txt";
 
 export function BottomPanel(props: {errors: TraceableError[], setEditorState: Dispatch<(state: VisualEditorState) => VisualEditorState>} & AppState & Setters<AppState>) {
   const [greeting, setGreeting] = useState(
-    <div className="greeter" style={{textAlign:'center'}} onClick={() => setGreeting(<></>)}>
+    <div className="greeter" style={{textAlign:'center'}}>
       <span style={{fontSize: 18, fontStyle: 'italic'}}>
-        Welcome to
-        <Logo width={250} height="auto" style={{verticalAlign: 'middle'}}/>
+        Welcome to <Logo/>
       </span>
     </div>);
 
@@ -26,35 +26,23 @@ export function BottomPanel(props: {errors: TraceableError[], setEditorState: Di
     }, 2000);
   }, []);
 
-  return <div className="bottom">
-    {greeting}
+  return <div className="toolbar bottom">
     {/* {props.showFindReplace &&
       <div>
         <FindReplace setCS={props.setEditorState} hide={() => props.setShowFindReplace(false)}/>
       </div>
     } */}
-    <div className={"stackHorizontal statusBar" + (props.errors.length ? " error" : "")}>
-      <div style={{flexGrow:1}}>
+    <div className={"statusBar" + props.errors.length ? " error" : ""}>
       <PersistentDetailsLocalStorage initiallyOpen={false} localStorageKey="errorsExpanded">
-          <summary>{props.errors.length} errors</summary>
-          <div style={{maxHeight: '20vh', overflow: 'auto'}}>
-          {props.errors.map(({message, shapeUid})=>
-            <div>
-              {shapeUid}: {message}
-            </div>)}
-          </div>
-        </PersistentDetailsLocalStorage>
-      </div>
-      <div style={{display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center'}}>
-        switch to&nbsp;
-        {location.host === "localhost:3000" ?
-          <a href={`https://deemz.org/public/statebuddy/${location.hash}`}>production</a>
-          : <a href={`http://localhost:3000/${location.hash}`}>development</a>
-        }
-        &nbsp;mode
-      &nbsp;|&nbsp;
-        Rev:&nbsp;<a title={"git"} href={`https://deemz.org/git/research/statebuddy/commit/${gitRev}`}>{gitRev.slice(0,8)}</a>
-      </div>
+        <summary>{props.errors.length} errors</summary>
+        <div style={{maxHeight: '25vh', overflow: 'auto'}}>
+        {props.errors.map(({message, shapeUid})=>
+          <div>
+            {shapeUid}: {message}
+          </div>)}
+        </div>
+      </PersistentDetailsLocalStorage>
     </div>
+    {greeting}
   </div>;
 }
diff --git a/src/App/BottomPanel/FindReplace.tsx b/src/App/BottomPanel/FindReplace.tsx
index 2b9b85b..4ea9326 100644
--- a/src/App/BottomPanel/FindReplace.tsx
+++ b/src/App/BottomPanel/FindReplace.tsx
@@ -1,82 +1,48 @@
-import { Dispatch, FormEvent, SetStateAction, useCallback } from "react";
+import { Dispatch, useCallback, useEffect } from "react";
 import { VisualEditorState } from "../VisualEditor/VisualEditor";
+import { usePersistentState } from "@/hooks/usePersistentState";
 
 import CloseIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Close';
-import SwapVertIcon from '@mui/icons-material/SwapVert';
+import SwapHorizIcon from '@mui/icons-material/SwapHoriz';
+import { useShortcuts } from "@/hooks/useShortcuts";
 
 type FindReplaceProps = {
-  findText: string,
-  replaceText: string,
-  setFindReplaceText: Dispatch<SetStateAction<[string, string]>>,
-  cs: VisualEditorState,
   setCS: Dispatch<(oldState: VisualEditorState) => VisualEditorState>,
+  // setModal: (modal: null) => void;
   hide: () => void,
 };
 
-export function FindReplace({findText, replaceText, setFindReplaceText, cs, setCS, hide}: FindReplaceProps) {
+export function FindReplace({setCS, hide}: FindReplaceProps) {
+  const [findTxt, setFindText] = usePersistentState("findTxt", "");
+  const [replaceTxt, setReplaceTxt] = usePersistentState("replaceTxt", "");
+
   const onReplace = useCallback(() => {
     setCS(cs => {
       return {
         ...cs,
         texts: cs.texts.map(txt => ({
           ...txt,
-          text: txt.text.replaceAll(findText, replaceText)
+          text: txt.text.replaceAll(findTxt, replaceTxt)
         })),
       };
     });
-  }, [findText, replaceText, setCS]);
+  }, [findTxt, replaceTxt]);
+
+  useShortcuts([
+    {keys: ["Enter"], action: onReplace},
+  ])
 
   const onSwap = useCallback(() => {
-    setFindReplaceText(([findText, replaceText]) => [replaceText, findText]);
-  }, [findText, replaceText]);
+    setReplaceTxt(findTxt);
+    setFindText(replaceTxt);
+  }, [findTxt, replaceTxt]);
 
-  const onSubmit = useCallback((e: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.stopPropagation();
-    onReplace();
-    // onSwap();
-  }, [findText, replaceText, onSwap, onReplace]);
-
-  const n = findText === "" ? 0 : cs.texts.reduce((count, txt) => count+(txt.text.indexOf(findText) !== -1 ? 1: 0), 0);
-
-  return <form onSubmit={onSubmit}>
-    <div className="toolbar toolbarGroup" style={{display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'row'}}>
-      <div style={{flexGrow:1, display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column'}}>
-        <input placeholder="find"
-            title="old text"
-            value={findText}
-            onChange={e  => setFindReplaceText(([_, replaceText]) => [e.target.value, replaceText])} 
-            style={{flexGrow: 1, minWidth: 20}}/>
-        <br/>
-        <input tabIndex={0} placeholder="replace"
-            title="new text"
-            value={replaceText}
-            onChange={(e => setFindReplaceText(([findText, _]) => [findText, e.target.value]))}
-            style={{flexGrow: 1, minWidth: 20}}/>
-      </div>
-      <div style={{flex: '0 0 content', display: 'flex', justifyItems: 'flex-start', flexDirection: 'column'}}>
-        <div style={{display: 'flex'}}>
-          <button
-              type="button" // <-- prevent form submission on click
-              title="swap find/replace fields"
-              onClick={onSwap}
-              style={{flexGrow: 1}}>
-            <SwapVertIcon fontSize="small"/>
-          </button>
-          <button
-              type="button" // <-- prevent form submission on click
-              title="hide find & replace"
-              onClick={hide}
-              style={{flexGrow: 1 }}>
-            <CloseIcon fontSize="small"/>
-          </button>
-        </div>
-        <input type="submit"
-            disabled={n===0}
-            title="replace all occurrences in model"
-            value={`replace all (${n})`}
-            style={{height: 26}}/>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  </form>;
+  return <div className="toolbar toolbarGroup" style={{display: 'flex'}}>
+    <input placeholder="find" value={findTxt} onChange={e  => setFindText(e.target.value)} style={{width:300}}/>
+    <button tabIndex={-1} onClick={onSwap}><SwapHorizIcon fontSize="small"/></button>
+    <input tabIndex={0} placeholder="replace" value={replaceTxt} onChange={(e => setReplaceTxt(e.target.value))} style={{width:300}}/>
+    &nbsp;
+    <button onClick={onReplace}>replace all</button>
+    <button onClick={hide} style={{marginLeft: 'auto'}}><CloseIcon fontSize="small"/></button>
+  </div>;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/App/Logo/Logo.tsx b/src/App/Logo/Logo.tsx
index e86a7fa..1aa429f 100644
--- a/src/App/Logo/Logo.tsx
+++ b/src/App/Logo/Logo.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-import { SVGAttributes, SVGProps } from "react";
-
 // i couldn't find a better way to make the text in the logo adapt to light/dark mode...
-export function Logo(props: SVGAttributes<SVGElement>) {
-  return <svg style={{maxWidth: '100%'}} width="424.29" height="105.72" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 424.29 105.72" {...props} >
+export function Logo() {
+  return <svg style={{maxWidth: '100%'}} width="424.29" height="105.72" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 424.29 105.72">
     <style>{`
       .logoText {
         fill: var(--text-color);
diff --git a/src/App/SideBar/ShowAST.tsx b/src/App/SideBar/ShowAST.tsx
index 56e527f..0520b84 100644
--- a/src/App/SideBar/ShowAST.tsx
+++ b/src/App/SideBar/ShowAST.tsx
@@ -70,15 +70,14 @@ export const ShowInputEvents = memo(function ShowInputEvents({inputEvents, onRai
     };
   });
 
-  // less painful and more readable than figuring out the equivalent of range(n) in JS:
-  // (btw, useShortcuts must always be called with an array of the same size)
-  useShortcuts([0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9].map(i => {
-    const n = (i+1) % 10;
+  const shortcutSpec = raiseHandlers.map((handler, i) => {
+    const n = (i+1)%10;
     return {
       keys: [n.toString()],
-      action: raiseHandlers[n] || (() => {}),
+      action: handler,
     };
-  }));
+  });
+  useShortcuts(shortcutSpec);
 
   const KeyInfo = KeyInfoVisible; // always show keyboard shortcuts on input events, we can't expect the user to remember them
 
@@ -108,6 +107,7 @@ export const ShowInputEvents = memo(function ShowInputEvents({inputEvents, onRai
     </div>;
   })
 }, (prevProps, nextProps) => {
+  console.log('onRaise changed:', prevProps.onRaise === nextProps.onRaise, prevProps.onRaise, nextProps.onRaise);
   return prevProps.onRaise === nextProps.onRaise
      && prevProps.disabled === nextProps.disabled
      && jsonDeepEqual(prevProps.inputEvents, nextProps.inputEvents);
diff --git a/src/App/SideBar/SideBar.tsx b/src/App/SideBar/SideBar.tsx
index a32e373..a6e6048 100644
--- a/src/App/SideBar/SideBar.tsx
+++ b/src/App/SideBar/SideBar.tsx
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ export const SideBar = memo(function SideBar({showExecutionTrace, showConnection
             <button title="see in trace (below)" className={activeProperty === i ? "active" : ""} onClick={() => setActiveProperty(i)}>
               <VisibilityIcon fontSize="small"/>
             </button>
-            <input type="text" style={{width:'calc(100% - 90px)'}} value={property} onChange={e => setProperties(properties => properties.toSpliced(i, 1, e.target.value))} placeholder='write MTL property...'/>
+            <input type="text" style={{width:'calc(100% - 90px)'}} value={property} onChange={e => setProperties(properties => properties.toSpliced(i, 1, e.target.value))}/>
             <button title="delete this property" onClick={() => setProperties(properties => properties.toSpliced(i, 1))}>
               <DeleteOutlineIcon fontSize="small"/>
             </button>
diff --git a/src/App/TopPanel/TopPanel.tsx b/src/App/TopPanel/TopPanel.tsx
index 32ed918..32f8209 100644
--- a/src/App/TopPanel/TopPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/App/TopPanel/TopPanel.tsx
@@ -246,5 +246,11 @@ export const TopPanel = memo(function TopPanel({trace, time, setTime, onUndo, on
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
+    <div className="toolbarGroup">
+      {location.host === "localhost:3000" ?
+        <a href={`https://deemz.org/public/statebuddy/${location.hash}`}>production</a>
+        : <a href={`http://localhost:3000/${location.hash}`}>development</a>
+      }
+    </div>
   </div>;
 });
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/ArrowSVG.tsx b/src/App/VisualEditor/ArrowSVG.tsx
index 6e322b3..d09128d 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/ArrowSVG.tsx
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/ArrowSVG.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export const ArrowSVG = memo(function(props: { arrow: Arrow; selected: ArrowPart
       data-parts="start end" />
 
     {props.error && <text
-      className="errorHover"
+      className="error"
       x={(start.x + end.x) / 2 + 5}
       y={(start.y + end.y) / 2}
       textAnchor="middle"
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/RountangleSVG.tsx b/src/App/VisualEditor/RountangleSVG.tsx
index 999b25b..07bca96 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/RountangleSVG.tsx
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/RountangleSVG.tsx
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export const RountangleSVG = memo(function RountangleSVG(props: {rountangle: Rou
     <text x={10} y={20} className="uid">{props.rountangle.uid}</text>
 
     {props.error &&
-      <text className="errorHover" x={30} y={20} data-uid={uid} data-parts="left top right bottom">{props.error}</text>}
+      <text className="error" x={10} y={40} data-uid={uid} data-parts="left top right bottom">{props.error}</text>}
 
     <RectHelper uid={uid} size={minSize}
       selected={props.selected}
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/TextSVG.tsx b/src/App/VisualEditor/TextSVG.tsx
index 807e1d6..9c6bfdf 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/TextSVG.tsx
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/TextSVG.tsx
@@ -1,46 +1,36 @@
 import { TextDialog } from "@/App/Modals/TextDialog";
 import { TraceableError } from "../../statecharts/parser";
 import {Text} from "../../statecharts/concrete_syntax";
-import { Dispatch, memo, ReactElement, SetStateAction, SVGTextElementAttributes } from "react";
+import { Dispatch, memo, ReactElement, SetStateAction } from "react";
 import { jsonDeepEqual } from "@/util/util";
 
-export const FragmentedText = function FragmentedText({start, end, text, highlightClassName, uid, parts, ...rest}: {start: number, end: number, text: string, highlightClassName: string, uid: string, parts: string} & SVGTextElementAttributes<SVGTextElement>) {
-  if (start !== -1 && start !== end) {
-    return <text data-uid={uid} data-parts={parts} {...rest}>
-      {text.slice(0, start)}
-      <tspan className={highlightClassName} data-uid={uid} data-parts="text">
-        {text.slice(start, end)}
+export const TextSVG = memo(function TextSVG(props: {text: Text, error: TraceableError|undefined, selected: boolean, highlight: boolean, onEdit: (text: Text, newText: string) => void, setModal: Dispatch<SetStateAction<ReactElement|null>>}) {
+  const commonProps = {
+    "data-uid": props.text.uid,
+    "data-parts": "text",
+    textAnchor: "middle" as "middle",
+    className: "draggableText"
+      + (props.selected ? " selected":"")
+      + (props.highlight ? " highlight":""),
+    style: {whiteSpace: "preserve"},
+  }
+
+  let textNode;
+  if (props.error?.data?.location) {
+    const {start,end} = props.error.data.location;
+    textNode = <><text {...commonProps}>
+      {props.text.text.slice(0, start.offset)}
+      <tspan className="error" data-uid={props.text.uid} data-parts="text">
+        {props.text.text.slice(start.offset, end.offset)}
+        {start.offset === end.offset && <>_</>}
       </tspan>
-      {text.slice(end)}
-    </text>;
+      {props.text.text.slice(end.offset)}
+    </text>
+    <text className="error errorHover" y={20} textAnchor="middle">{props.error.message}</text></>;
   }
   else {
-    return <text data-uid={uid} data-parts={parts} {...rest}>
-      {text}
-    </text>
+    textNode = <text {...commonProps}>{props.text.text}</text>;
   }
-}
-
-export const TextSVG = memo(function TextSVG(props: {text: Text, error: TraceableError|undefined, selected: boolean, highlight: boolean, onEdit: (text: Text, newText: string) => void, setModal: Dispatch<SetStateAction<ReactElement|null>>, findText: string}) {
-
-  const className = "draggableText"
-    + (props.selected ? " selected":"")
-    + (props.highlight ? " highlight":"")
-    + (props.error ? " error":"");
-
-  const found = props.text.text.indexOf(props.findText);
-  const start = (found >= 0) ? found : -1
-  const end = (found >= 0) ? found + props.findText.length : -1;
-
-  const textNode = <FragmentedText
-    {...{start, end}}
-    text={props.text.text}
-    textAnchor="middle"
-    className={className}
-    highlightClassName="findText"
-    uid={props.text.uid}
-    parts="text"
-    />;
 
   return <g
     key={props.text.uid}
@@ -54,9 +44,6 @@ export const TextSVG = memo(function TextSVG(props: {text: Text, error: Traceabl
     }}>
       {textNode}
       <text className="draggableText helper" textAnchor="middle" data-uid={props.text.uid} data-parts="text" style={{whiteSpace: "preserve"}}>{props.text.text}</text>
-      {props.error &&
-        <text className="errorHover" y={-20} textAnchor="middle">{props.error.message}</text>
-      }
     </g>;
 }, (prevProps, newProps) => {
   return jsonDeepEqual(prevProps.text, newProps)
@@ -65,5 +52,4 @@ export const TextSVG = memo(function TextSVG(props: {text: Text, error: Traceabl
     && prevProps.setModal === newProps.setModal
     && prevProps.error === newProps.error
     && prevProps.selected === newProps.selected
-    && prevProps.findText === newProps.findText
 });
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.css b/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.css
index 2679255..4153853 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.css
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.css
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ line.selected, circle.selected {
   stroke-width: 4px;
 }
 
+.draggableText.selected, .draggableText.selected:hover {
+  fill: var(--accent-border-color);
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
 text.helper {
   fill: rgba(0,0,0,0);
   stroke: rgba(0,0,0,0);
@@ -122,41 +126,24 @@ text.helper:hover {
   cursor: grab;
 }
 
-.draggableText {
+.draggableText, .draggableText.highlight {
   paint-order: stroke;
   fill: var(--text-color);
   stroke: var(--background-color);
   stroke-width: 4px;
-  text-anchor: middle;
-  white-space: preserve;
-}
-.draggableText.selected {
-  fill: var(--accent-border-color);
-  font-weight: 600;
+  stroke-linecap: butt;
+  stroke-linejoin: miter;
+  stroke-opacity: 1;
+  fill-opacity:1;
 }
+
 .draggableText.highlight:not(.selected) {
   fill: var(--associated-color);
-}
-.draggableText.error:not(.selected) {
-  fill: var(--error-color);
+  font-weight: 600;
 }
 
-text.errorHover {
-  display: none;
-  paint-order: stroke;
-  fill: var(--error-color);
-  stroke: var(--background-color);
-  stroke-width: 4px;
-  font-weight: 600;
-  white-space: preserve;
-}
-g:hover > text.errorHover {
-  display: inline;
-}
-
-tspan.findText {
-  fill: var(--foundtext-color);
-  font-weight: 600;
+.draggableText.selected {
+  fill: var(--accent-border-color);
 }
 
 .highlight:not(.selected):not(text) {
@@ -165,7 +152,7 @@ tspan.findText {
   fill: none;
 }
 
-.arrow.error:not(.selected) {
+.arrow.error {
   stroke: var(--error-color);
 }
 .arrow.fired {
@@ -185,13 +172,19 @@ tspan.findText {
   }
 }
 
-/* .errorHover {
+
+text.error, tspan.error {
+  fill: var(--error-color);
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.errorHover {
   display: none;
 }
 
 g:hover > .errorHover {
   display: inline;
-} */
+}
 
 text.uid {
   fill: var(--separator-color);
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.tsx b/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.tsx
index e11e4ca..0a0b2d6 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/VisualEditor.tsx
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@ type VisualEditorProps = {
   highlightTransitions: string[],
   setModal: Dispatch<SetStateAction<ReactElement|null>>,
   zoom: number;
-  findText: string;
 };
 
-export const VisualEditor = memo(function VisualEditor({state, commitState, replaceState, conns, syntaxErrors: errors, insertMode, highlightActive, highlightTransitions, setModal, zoom, findText}: VisualEditorProps) {
+export const VisualEditor = memo(function VisualEditor({state, commitState, replaceState, conns, syntaxErrors: errors, insertMode, highlightActive, highlightTransitions, setModal, zoom}: VisualEditorProps) {
 
   // While dragging, the editor is in a temporary state (a state that is not committed to the edit history). If the temporary state is not null, then this state will be what you see.
   // const [temporaryState, setTemporaryState] = useState<VisualEditorState | null>(null);
@@ -200,6 +199,8 @@ export const VisualEditor = memo(function VisualEditor({state, commitState, repl
         </marker>
       </defs>
 
+    {(rootErrors.length>0) && <text className="error" x={5} y={20}>{rootErrors.join(' ')}</text>}
+
     <Rountangles rountangles={state.rountangles} {...{selection, sidesToHighlight, rountanglesToHighlight, errors, highlightActive}}/>
     <Diamonds diamonds={state.diamonds} {...{selection, sidesToHighlight, rountanglesToHighlight, errors}}/>
 
@@ -234,9 +235,7 @@ export const VisualEditor = memo(function VisualEditor({state, commitState, repl
       }
     )}
 
-    <Texts texts={state.texts} {...{selection, textsToHighlight, errors, onEditText, setModal, findText}}/>
-
-    {(rootErrors.length>0) && <text className="errorHover" x={5} y={20} style={{display:'inline'}}>{rootErrors.join('\n')}</text>}
+    <Texts texts={state.texts} {...{selection, textsToHighlight, errors, onEditText, setModal}}/>
 
     {selectionRect}
   </svg>;
@@ -283,7 +282,7 @@ const Diamonds = memo(function Diamonds({diamonds, selection, sidesToHighlight,
     && arraysEqual(p.errors, n.errors);
 });
 
-const Texts = memo(function Texts({texts, selection, textsToHighlight, errors, onEditText, setModal, findText}: {texts: Text[], selection: Selection, textsToHighlight: {[key: string]: boolean}, errors: TraceableError[], onEditText: (text: Text, newText: string) => void, setModal: Dispatch<SetStateAction<ReactElement|null>>, findText: string}) {
+const Texts = memo(function Texts({texts, selection, textsToHighlight, errors, onEditText, setModal}: {texts: Text[], selection: Selection, textsToHighlight: {[key: string]: boolean}, errors: TraceableError[], onEditText: (text: Text, newText: string) => void, setModal: Dispatch<SetStateAction<ReactElement|null>>}) {
   return <>{texts.map(txt => {
     return <TextSVG
       key={txt.uid}
@@ -293,7 +292,6 @@ const Texts = memo(function Texts({texts, selection, textsToHighlight, errors, o
       highlight={textsToHighlight.hasOwnProperty(txt.uid)}
       onEdit={onEditText}
       setModal={setModal}
-      findText={findText}
     />
   })}</>;
 }, (p, n) => {
@@ -302,7 +300,6 @@ const Texts = memo(function Texts({texts, selection, textsToHighlight, errors, o
     && objectsEqual(p.textsToHighlight, n.textsToHighlight)
     && arraysEqual(p.errors, n.errors)
     && p.onEditText === n.onEditText
-    && p.setModal === n.setModal
-    && p.findText === n.findText;
+    && p.setModal === n.setModal;
 });
 
diff --git a/src/App/VisualEditor/hooks/useMouse.tsx b/src/App/VisualEditor/hooks/useMouse.tsx
index 6c5ebcf..a89b08b 100644
--- a/src/App/VisualEditor/hooks/useMouse.tsx
+++ b/src/App/VisualEditor/hooks/useMouse.tsx
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ export function useMouse(
             ...t,
             topLeft: addV2D(t.topLeft, pointerDelta),
           }
-        }).toSorted((a,b) => a.topLeft.y - b.topLeft.y),
+        }),
       }));
       setDragging(true);
     }
diff --git a/src/App/hooks/useSimulator.ts b/src/App/hooks/useSimulator.ts
index 1e68792..1bd5b9f 100644
--- a/src/App/hooks/useSimulator.ts
+++ b/src/App/hooks/useSimulator.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ export function useSimulator(ast: Statechart|null, plant: Plant<any, UniversalPl
     };
   }, [cE, currentTraceItem, time, appendNewConfig]);
 
+  console.log({onRaise});
+
   // timer elapse events are triggered by a change of the simulated time (possibly as a scheduled JS event loop timeout)
   useEffect(() => {
     // console.log('time effect:', time, currentTraceItem);
diff --git a/src/frontend.tsx b/src/frontend.tsx
index e95c329..1e00a46 100644
--- a/src/frontend.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend.tsx
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import { App } from "./App/App";
 
 const elem = document.getElementById("root")!;
 const app = (
-  <StrictMode>
+  // <StrictMode>
     <App />
-  </StrictMode>
+  // </StrictMode>
 );
 
 if (import.meta.hot) {
diff --git a/src/hooks/usePersistentState.ts b/src/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
index 137ea12..d59681e 100644
--- a/src/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import { Dispatch, SetStateAction, useCallback, useState } from "react";
 // like useState, but it is persisted in localStorage
 // important: values must be JSON-(de-)serializable
 export function usePersistentState<T>(key: string, initial: T): [T, Dispatch<SetStateAction<T>>] {
-  console.log('usePersistentState ---', key);
   const [state, setState] = useState(() => {
     const recovered = localStorage.getItem(key);
     let parsed;
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index 6444175..78b28ca 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -16,12 +16,6 @@ html, body {
   --light-accent-color: light-dark(rgba(0,0,255,0.2), rgba(78, 186, 248, 0.377));
   --accent-border-color: light-dark(blue, rgb(64, 185, 255));
   --accent-opaque-color: light-dark(#ccccff, #305b73);
-
-  --statusbar-bg-color: light-dark(rgb(225, 229, 235), rgb(48, 48, 68));
-  --statusbar-fg-color: light-dark(rgb(0, 0, 0), white);
-  --statusbar-error-bg-color: light-dark(rgb(163, 0, 0), rgb(255, 82, 82));
-  --statusbar-error-fg-color: light-dark(white, black);
-
   --separator-color: light-dark(lightgrey, rgb(58, 58, 58));
   --inactive-bg-color: light-dark(#f7f7f7, rgb(29, 29, 29));
   --inactive-fg-color: light-dark(grey, rgb(70, 70, 70));
@@ -46,7 +40,6 @@ html, body {
   --input-event-hover-bg-color: light-dark(rgb(195, 224, 176), rgb(59, 88, 40));
   --input-event-active-bg-color: light-dark(rgb(176, 204, 158), rgb(77, 117, 53));
   --output-event-bg-color: light-dark(rgb(230, 249, 255), rgb(28, 83, 104));
-  --foundtext-color: light-dark(rgb(0, 189, 164), rgb(202, 149, 218));
 
   background-color: var(--background-color);
   color: var(--text-color);
@@ -57,16 +50,16 @@ input {
   border: 1px solid var(--separator-color);
 }
 
-button, input[type="submit"] {
+button {
   background-color: var(--button-bg-color);
   border: 1px var(--separator-color) solid;
 }
 
-button:not(:disabled):hover, input[type="submit"]:not(:disabled):hover {
+button:not(:disabled):hover {
   background-color: var(--light-accent-color);
 }
 
-button:disabled, input[type="submit"]:disabled {
+button:disabled {
   background-color: var(--inactive-bg-color);
   color: var(--inactive-fg-color);
 }
diff --git a/src/statecharts/concrete_syntax.ts b/src/statecharts/concrete_syntax.ts
index ffd1ca6..c74b9b9 100644
--- a/src/statecharts/concrete_syntax.ts
+++ b/src/statecharts/concrete_syntax.ts
@@ -40,23 +40,8 @@ export type ConcreteSyntax = {
 export type RectSide = "left" | "top" | "right" | "bottom";
 export type ArrowPart = "start" | "end";
 
-export const initialEditorState: VisualEditorState = {
-  rountangles: [{
-    uid:"0",
-    topLeft:{x:76.25,y:122.5},
-    size:{x:133.75,y:103.75},
-    kind:"and"
-  }],
-  diamonds:[],
-  history:[],
-  arrows:[{
-    uid:"39",
-    start:{x:85,y:67.5},
-    end:{x:116.25,y:116.25}
-  }],
-  texts:[],
-  nextID: 1,
-  selection: [],
+export const emptyState: VisualEditorState = {
+  rountangles: [], texts: [], arrows: [], diamonds: [], history: [], nextID: 0, selection: [],
 };
 
 // used to find which rountangle an arrow connects to (src/tgt)
diff --git a/src/statecharts/parser.ts b/src/statecharts/parser.ts
index 89d7c8a..a3287c4 100644
--- a/src/statecharts/parser.ts
+++ b/src/statecharts/parser.ts
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
       else if (state.initial.length === 0) {
         errors.push({
           shapeUid: state.uid, 
-          message: "needs initial state",
+          message: "no initial state",
         });
       }
     }
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
 
   // step 3: figure out labels
 
-  // ASSUMPTION: text is sorted by y-coordinate
-  for (const text of concreteSyntax.texts) {
+  const textsSorted = concreteSyntax.texts.toSorted((a,b) => a.topLeft.y - b.topLeft.y);
+  for (const text of textsSorted) {
     let parsed: ParsedText;
     try {
       parsed = cachedParseLabel(text.text); // may throw
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
       if (e instanceof SyntaxError) {
         errors.push({
           shapeUid: text.uid,
-          message: 'parser: ' + e.message,
+          message: e.message,
           data: e,
         });
         parsed = {
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
         // triggers
         if (parsed.trigger.kind === "event") {
           if (src.kind === "pseudo") {
-            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "cannot have trigger"});
+            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "pseudo state outgoing transition must not have event trigger"});
           }
           else {
             const {event} = parsed.trigger;
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
         }
         else if (parsed.trigger.kind === "after") {
           if (src.kind === "pseudo") {
-            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "cannot have trigger"});
+            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "pseudo state outgoing transition must not have after-trigger"});
           }
           else {
             src.timers.push(parsed.trigger.durationMs);
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
         }
         else if (parsed.trigger.kind === "triggerless") {
           if (src.kind !== "pseudo") {
-            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "needs trigger"});
+            errors.push({shapeUid: text.uid, message: "triggerless transitions only allowed on pseudo-states"});
           }
         }
       }
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ export function parseStatechart(concreteSyntax: ReducedConcreteSyntax, conns: Co
         else {
           errors.push({
             shapeUid: text.uid,
-            message: "must belong to transition",
+            message: "states can only have entry/exit triggers",
             data: {start: {offset: 0}, end: {offset: text.text.length}},
           });
         }
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 9f5b2d3..e0f1cd1 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -79,9 +79,6 @@ TODO
             https://pub.dev/packages/ploeg_tree_layout
     - local variable scopes
 
-Breaking changes (after mosis25 is finished):
-    - state names start with # (not with //)
-
 Publish StateBuddy paper(s):
     compare CS approach to other tools, not only YAKINDU
 z
\ No newline at end of file